Star Trek: Phase II
Star Trek: Phase II (also known as Star Trek II) was planned to be the first live-action spin-off series of Star Trek: The Original Series. In 1977, Paramount Pictures began working on the idea of launching a new television network. Following the rapid growth of Trek fandom, and a general growing interest in science fiction programming, Paramount drew up plans to launch a new Star Trek series as the network's flagship programme, covering a second five-year mission. The ''Enterprise'' was to be refit, and new characters were to be introduced. By July, construction on the sets began, and the writers' and directors' guide was published in August, with the premiere expected in spring of 1978. The original cast returned to reprise their roles (with the notable exception of Leonard Nimoy as Spock), alongside several new characters: Xon (replacing Spock as science officer), navigator Ilia and first officer Willard "Will" Decker. However, as preproduction finished, and work was scheduled to begin on the feature-length pilot, "In Thy Image", the network deal fell through, and, influenced by the success of Star Wars, Paramount chose to turn the pilot into a full feature, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, so as to recoup the costs already underwritten. Several scripts already completed were later used as episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation. In fact, many of the series concepts from Phase II would become the basis of TNG, such as the "lost love" relationship between new first officer Decker and Ilia would lead to similar scenes in TNG Season 1. :A book, detailing the creation and development of the series was published in 1997, including the original script treatments for "In Thy Image" and "The Child". Cast * William Shatner as James T. Kirk * Willard Decker was uncast at the time of the series shutdown. Stephen Collins would play the character in TMP. * James Doohan as Montgomery Scott * David Gautreaux as Xon * DeForest Kelley as Leonard McCoy * Persis Khambatta as Ilia * Walter Koenig as Pavel Chekov * Nichelle Nichols as Uhura * George Takei as Hikaru Sulu Episodes ;"In Thy Image" : A huge starship crosses the universe, looking for its creator on Earth. ;"To Attain the All" : The Enterprise gets caught in a solar system sized logic game where, if you win, you "attain the All," a huge repository of knowledge.'' Elements possibly reused for such episodes as TNG Season 1's "The Last Outpost and TNG Season 2's "Contagion." ;"The Prisoner" ;"Lord Bobby's Obsession" : The Enterprise comes across a derelict Klingon Cruiser with one life form aboard - one Lord Bobby from Earth's 18th century. ;"Devil's Due" : Later reused as TNG Season 4's "Devil's Due." The Enterprise has a first contact with the planet Naterra, just as a mythical creature, who had sold the planet in exchange for peace millennia earlier, appears. ;"Practice in Waking" : The Enterprise comes across a sleeper ship where Decker, Scotty and Sulu get trapped in a simulation of the 16th Century witch burnings. ;"A War to End Wars" ;"The Savage Syndrome" : While investigating an ancient starship, the Enterprise is hit with a blinding light which brainwashes the crew reverting them to savages. Elements possibly later reused for TNG Season 7's "Genesis." ;"The Child" : Later reused as TNG Season 2's "The Child." A being of light impregnates Ilia to experience life as a Deltan. The Enterprise's hull begins to fail as they come across a strange nebula. ;"Tomorrow and the Stars" : During a Klingon attack, Kirk orders an emergency beamup and is transported to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii just before the Japanese attack. ;"Deadlock" : While searching for a missing starship, the Enterprise is recalled to a starbase to engage in a very strange war game. Elements possibly later reused for TNG Season 2's "Peak Performance." ;"''Kitumba" : The Enterprise is sent to the Klingon home world to help Ksia, the underage Klingon leader, stop his regent from making war on the Federation. ;"Are Unheard Melodies Sweet?" : While searching for a missing starship, the Enterprise comes across a world in need of men. Elements possibly later reused for TNG Season 1's "Angel One." ;"Cassandra" : The Enterprise mediates a dispute between two worlds, while a clumsy ensign takes care of an infant alien. Exterior Design Ken Adam and Ralph McQuarrie had drawn several conceptual art sketches for a new Enterprise before Matt Jefferies was brought in again. With the Adam/McQuarrie Enterprise abandoned, Roddenberry asked Jefferies to update the famous starship to reflect the refit that would be part of the new series' backstory. Jefferies' redesign changed the engine nacelles from tubes to thin, flat-sided modules, and tapered their supports. He also added the distinctive photon torpedo ports on the saucer connector. Unlike the first redesign of the Enterprise, Jefferies' new version was built this time by Don Loos, who had built the original ship for ''The Original Series''. But when Paramount abandoned its plan to create a fourth television network and subsequently transformed the second Star Trek series into the first movie, that Enterprise was packed away as movie director Robert Wise brought in a new art director - Harold Michelson - who started a second redesign of the ship, essentially keeping Jefferies' new lines, while adding the extensive detail that was necessary for a motion-picture miniature. Though Roddenberry had endured many frustrating false starts in the eight years since his creation had been canceled, by once again thinking of Star Trek as a television series and not a movie, Paramount had inadvertenly set the stage for the most successful series of movies the studio ever made. Ralph McQuarrie is best known to the public for his stunning production designs for the Star Wars films. His imagination helped guide the final appearance of Darth Vader and his Storm Troopers, and he also created many of the matte paintings of planets and satellites that appeared in the film. After Star Wars wrapped in 1977, McQuarrie was invited to England to work under Ken Adam to help develop the designs for a new Star Trek series, ultimately abandoned to make way for ''The Motion Picture''. These paintings were part of that process, giving us a glimpse of one possible Star Trek that never was. Interior Design Mike Minor's intitial designs for the new Star Trek series are clearly an evolutionary step between the original series and The Motion Picture. The bridge-wall control modules survived almost intact to The Motion Picture, while the transporter room is essentially a redress of the original set with a more streamlined console and new wall displays. The two images to the right are recreation room concepts for the new Enterprise by Mike Minor. One the drawing can be seen several crew members playing three-dimensional chess and some kind of anti-gravitational game, and some engaging in intimate conversation. The sickbay concept art image is probably also a Phase II preproduction illustration by Mike Minor. Since there is no signature on the drawing, we can not be completely certain if it is indeed from Phase II, or if it is by Mike Minor. However, the colour scheme and the layout of the control panels on the walls both bear a striking resemblence to Mike Minor's Phase II drawings pictures above. External Links * Phase II Concept Art at the Ottens Library. References * Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens; Star Trek: Phase II - The Making of the Lost Series; Pocket Books, ISBN 0-671-56839-6 (softcover, 1997). * Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens; The Art of Star Trek; Pocket Books (hardcover, 1995). de:Star_Trek:_Phase_II